JPS623752Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a timepiece that displays the battery life by changing the seconds from a digital display to a blinking display when the battery reaches the end of its life. Conventional digital electronic watches have a battery life display method that displays a mark to notify the user that the battery has reached its end of life. However, this method requires the provision of a new segment to display the battery life, and has the disadvantage that the display becomes cluttered, especially in watches with small displays. Another battery life display method was to erase part of the time display, especially the seconds. This method has the advantage that there is no need to provide a new segment, and the user can more clearly confirm that the battery has reached the end of its life.
However, this method had the disadvantage that the second time was erased, making it difficult to visually read the seconds. If the battery life display clutters the display section or makes it impossible to visually read the seconds, the effectiveness of the battery life display will be halved. An object of the present invention is to provide a digital watch that can clearly display a battery life indication and also allows for sufficient visual reading of seconds. The present invention will be explained in detail below based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment includes an oscillator 2, a frequency divider 4, a second counter 6, a minute counter 8, an hour counter 10, a second decoder 12, a minute decoder 14, an hour decoder 16, drivers 18, 20, 22, a display section 24, and a switching selection circuit. 26, a battery 28, a voltage detection section 30, and an initial reset circuit 32. In the above configuration, the voltage detection section 30 is a circuit that detects a decrease in the voltage of the battery 28. Therefore, when the voltage detecting section 30 detects that the voltage of the battery 28 has decreased, the detecting section 30 detects that the voltage of the battery 28 has decreased.
Outputs a signal to. In addition to the signal from the voltage detection unit 30, the switching selection circuit 26 receives a second time signal from the second decoder 12, a signal every 10 seconds and a signal every minute from the second counter 6, and a 1Hz signal from the frequency divider 4. A signal is being input. This switching selection circuit 26
When the life of the timer reaches the end of its life, a signal is output to the driver 18 to cause one of the segments constituting the date-shaped digit for displaying seconds on the display section 24 to blink in seconds. Further, the circuit 26 is configured to change the segment to be blinked every 10 seconds in a one-minute cycle, depending on the signal from the second counter 6. As a result, in a normal case, the time signal of the minute counted by the minute counter 8 and the hour counter 10 is transmitted to the hour decoder 16, the minute decoder 14, and the minute time signal, respectively.
The data is input to the display section 24 via the drivers 20 and 22. Further, the second time signal counted by the second counter 6 is input to the display section 24 via the second decoder 12, the switching selection circuit 26, and the driver 18. The result display section 24 displays the hour, minute, and second of the current time. Figure 2 shows the display format of the display section 24 in the normal case, and in Figure 2, the current time is 12:43.
It shows that it is 35 seconds. From Figure 2, seconds are displayed digitally in the same way as hours and minutes. When the voltage of the battery 28 decreases, the switching selection circuit 26 causes one of the segments constituting the eye-shaped digit for displaying the second time to blink in seconds. Then use the 1 frequency divider to change the flashing segment every 10 seconds. Even in this state, the hours and minutes of the current time are displayed as usual. On the other hand, the initial reset circuit 32 is a circuit for temporarily resetting the voltage detection section 30, the switching selection circuit 26, the second counter 6, the minute counter 8, and the hour counter 10 when the battery 28 is replaced with a new one. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a second display segment in an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, a day-shaped digit 34 for displaying the tens digit of seconds is composed of segments 1-7. The day-shaped digit 36 for displaying the first digit of seconds is composed of segments 8-14. FIGS. 4a to 4f show the display form of the seconds display segment when the battery life is detected. Fourth
Diagram a is 9 seconds from the minute carry, diagram b is 10 seconds to 19
Figure c shows the display form of the second display segment for 20 seconds to 29 seconds, Figure d shows the display format for 30 seconds to 39 seconds, Figure E shows 40 seconds to 49 seconds, and Figure F shows the display form of the second display segment for 50 seconds to 59 seconds. Figure 4 a~
As shown in f, segments 1 and 8 are used from 0 to 9 seconds after the minute carry, segments 2 and 9 are used from 10 seconds to 19 seconds, and segments 3 and 10 are used from 20 seconds to 29 seconds.
However, segments 4 and 11 are displayed blinking from 30 seconds to 39 seconds, segments 5 and 12 from 40 seconds to 49 seconds, and segments 6 and 13 from 50 seconds to 59 seconds. This allows the user to confirm that the battery has reached the end of its life. Even when the battery life is displayed, the hours and minutes display do not change, and it is possible to visually read the time up to the tenths of a second depending on the position of the blinking second display segment. Therefore, visual reading of the time is not difficult even when the battery life is displayed as in the conventional case. FIG. 5 shows a circuit diagram of the second counter 6 and switching selection circuit 26 in FIG. The second counter 6 includes a decimal counter 38 and a hexadecimal counter 50. and hexadecimal counter 5
0 is composed of flip-flops 40, 42, 44 and AND gates 46, 48. The decimal counter 38 counts the first digit of the second, and the hexadecimal counter 50 counts the tenth digit of the second. and 10
The signal of the first digit of the second counted by the decimal counter 38 is sent to the first digit of the second decoder 5 constituting the second decoder 12.
Enter 2. The decoder 52 converts the seconds first digit signal into a signal driving the seconds display segment, which outputs a1, b1 . . . e1 . f
1, output from g1. Output a1, b1......
The signals output from e1 and f1 are passed through AND gates 54, 56, . . . , 62, 64 and OR gates 68, 70, . 80
inputs a2, b2, ......, e2, f2. Further, the signal output from the output g1 is input to the second driver 80 via the AND gate 66.
Enter 2. The signals input to the second driver 80 are the inputs a2, b2, ......, e
Outputs a3, b3, ... corresponding to 2, f2, g2
. . , e3, f3, g3 are input to segments 8, 9, . This will display the seconds digit. Similarly, the outputs Q1, Q2, Q3 of flip-flops 40, 42, 44 forming the hexadecimal counter 50
The signal from the second decoder 12 is input to the tens-of-seconds decoder 82 which constitutes the seconds decoder 12. The signal is converted into a signal that drives the seconds display segment and outputs a4,b
4, ......, e4, f4, g4.
The signals output from outputs a4, b4, . . . e4, f4 are outputted from AND gates 84, 86, .
…, 92, 94 and ORGATE 98, 100, …
..., 106, 108, the inputs a5, b5,
......Input to e5 and f5. Further, the signal output from the output g4 is input to the g5 input of the seconds driver 110 via the AND gate 96. The signals input to the seconds driver 110 are the outputs a6, b6, ......, e6, f6, g corresponding to the inputs a5, b5, ......, e5, f5, g5.
6 to segments 1, 2 . . . composing the day-shaped digit 34 indicating the tens digit of seconds on the display section 24.
...Input in 5, 6, and 7 respectively. This will display the tens digits of seconds. What has been described above is about the second time display operation when the voltage of the battery 28 has not decreased. On the other hand, the output signal of the voltage detection section 30 is input to the clock input of the flip-flop 112. This flip-flop 112 latches the output signal of the voltage detection section 30, and its output Q4 is sent to the flip-flop 11 via an AND gate 114.
Input to J input of 6. This flip-flop 1
The output Q3 of the flip-flop 44 is input to the clock input 16. And the output Q5 of the flip-flop 116 is connected to the AND gates 84, 86,
...... 92, 94, 96, and 54, 56, ...
..., 62, 64, 66. Also output Q5
is and gate 118, 120, 122, ...
..., 128, 130, 132, ......, 140,
142. The output of the AND gate 106 is input to the other input terminal of the AND gate 118 . This AND gate 106 has outputs Q1 , Q of flip-flops 40, 42, 44.
2, Q3 signal is input. The output signal of the AND gate 118 is then applied to the flip-flop 14.
The signal is input to a shift register 153 consisting of 4,146, . . . , 150, 152 and an AND gate 154. This flip-flop 144, 14
For clock inputs of 6, ……, 150, 152,
The output 39 of the decimal counter 38 is input. And flip-flops 144, 146,......
150, 152 output Q6, Q7,......,Q
9 and Q10 are AND gates 156 and 15 respectively
8, ......, 162, 164. This AND gate 154, 156, ......, 162, 1
The other input terminal of 64 receives 1Hz from frequency divider 4.
A signal is being input. And gate 154
The output 155 of AND gate 156 is input to AND gates 130 and 142, and the output 157 of AND gate 156 is input to AND gates 128 and 140. And the output 159 of the AND gate 158 is the AND gate 12
6,138, and the output 161 of AND gate 160 is input to AND gate 124,136. Similarly, the output 163 of the AND gate 162 is input to the AND gates 122 and 134, and the output 165 of the AND gate 164 is input to the AND gates 120 and 134.
32. On the other hand, the initial reset circuit 32 is a hexadecimal counter 5.
0, decimal counter 38, flip-flop 14
4,146...150,152, and is configured to be temporarily reset when the battery is replaced with a new one. The flip-flop 112 in this switching selection circuit 26,
116 and AND gates 106, 114, 11
8 constitutes a latch circuit 119, and AND gates 154, 156 . . . 162, 164 constitute a gate circuit 168. In addition, or gate 6
8, 70...76, 78, and gate 54, 56
...62, 64, 66, 132, 134...140,
142, or gate 98, 100...106, 10
8, And gate 84, 86...92, 94, 9
6, 120, 122...128, 130 constitute a switching gate circuit 143. Next, the operation of this circuit when the battery 28 reaches the end of its life and the voltage drops will be explained using the time chart shown in FIG. First, when the voltage detection section 30 detects a decrease in the voltage of the battery 28, the output signal 31 of the circuit 30 falls to the L level. This causes flip-flop 1
The output Q4 of No. 12 rises to H level. When it is time to carry the minute, the output Q3 of the flip-flop 44, which is the output of the hexadecimal counter 50, falls to the L level. As a result, flip-flop 11
The output Q5 of 6 becomes H level, and the output Q5 becomes L level. And gate 54, 56,...
......,62,64,66,84,86,......,
92, 94, 96 are closed, and gate 120,
122, ……, 128, 130, 132, ……
..., 140, 142 are in an open state. As a result, the normal seconds and time display will no longer be displayed. At the same time, the AND gate 106 is also opened, and the sixth
As shown in the figure, the output of the AND gate 118, which becomes H level for 10 seconds immediately after the minute is carried, is input to the shift register 153 and the AND gate 154. Flip-flops 144, 146, ......, 150, 1 forming this shift register 153
The 52 clock inputs have 10 clock inputs as shown in Figure 6.
The output 39 of a decimal counter 38 which generates a pulse every second is input. As a result, the output Q6 of the flip-flop 144 constituting the shift register 153 remains high from 10 seconds after the minute carry to 19 seconds.
become the level. Similarly, the output Q7 of flip-flop 146 is from 20 seconds to 29 seconds after the minute is carried, the output Q8 of flip-flop 148 is from 30 seconds to 39 seconds, and the output Q9 of flip-flop 150 is from 40 seconds to 29 seconds.
Up to 49 seconds, the output Q10 of flip-flop 152
becomes H level from 50 seconds to 59 seconds. As a result, a 1 Hz signal is outputted to the output 155 of the AND gate 154 from the minute carry time to 9 seconds, as shown in FIG. The outputs 155 are inputted to the driver 18 through the AND gate 130 and the OR gate 108, or the AND gate 142 and the OR gate 78, respectively, and cause segments 1 and 8 to blink for seconds, while the other segments are not displayed. Similarly, the output 157 of the AND gate 156 has a value from 10 seconds to 19 seconds from the minute carry time to the AND gate 158.
The output 159 of the AND gate 160 outputs 30 seconds to 39 seconds, the output 161 of the AND gate 162 outputs 40 seconds to 49 seconds,
A 1 Hz signal is output to the output 165 of the AND gate 164 only from 50 seconds to 59 seconds. As a result, segments 2 and 9 are used from 10 seconds to 19 seconds after the minute carry, and segments 3 and 10 are used from 20 seconds to 29 seconds.
However, from 30 seconds to 39 seconds, segments 4 and 11
However, from 40 seconds to 49 seconds, segments 5 and 12
However, from 50 seconds to 59 seconds, segments 6 and 13 each flash for seconds, and no other segments are displayed. Repeat the above operation every time there is a carry below. That is, as the battery reaches the end of its life, the second display changes from a system in which numbers are represented by segments to a system in which each segment making up the Japanese-shaped digit flashes the second at different intervals. As described above, according to the present invention, when the battery life reaches the end, the seconds display method changes from a digital display to a flashing display, so the user can reliably confirm that the battery life has come to an end. In this invention, when the battery reaches the end of its life, only one of the seconds display segments is displayed blinking, and the seconds display segment that blinks seconds is changed every time a certain period of time elapses, so that it is possible to visually read until the seconds have elapsed. This eliminates the disadvantage of not being able to confirm the seconds, which is the case with the erasure method, which is a conventional battery life display method, and allows you to confirm the elapse of seconds, eliminating the need to provide a new segment.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows the normal display form of the display unit in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the second display segment in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows the display form of the second display segment when the battery life has come to an end. Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of the second counter and switching selection circuit shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a time chart when the battery life is detected. 6...Second counter, 18...Driver, 24...
... Display section, 26 ... Switching selection circuit, 30 ... Voltage detection section, 38 ... Decimal counter (second digit), 5
0...Hex counter (second digit), 52...Second 1st decoder, 80...Second 1st driver, 82...
Tens seconds decoder, 110... Tens seconds driver, 1
43...Switching gate circuit, 153...Shift register.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] an oscillator, a frequency divider connected to the oscillator,
A second counter connected to this frequency divider, a minute counter connected to this second counter, and an hour counter connected to this minute counter digitally measure seconds, minutes, and hours each in two sets of 7 segments. a second decoder connected to the second counter and converting the second value into a segment signal for displaying numerically in the two sets of seven segments; a second decoder connected to the minute counter and converting the second value into a segment signal for displaying the minute value in the two sets of seven segments; a minute decoder connected to the counter and converting the current value into a segment signal that displays numbers in the two sets of seven segments; A digital watch having a driver that drives the display section in response to a segment signal, and a power source battery, wherein the battery detects the voltage of the power source battery and outputs a voltage drop signal in response to a voltage drop below a predetermined voltage. a voltage detection circuit, a latch circuit connected to the battery voltage detection circuit for latching a drop signal thereof, and a sequence of each segment within the seven segments for displaying the second in response to a signal every 10 seconds from the second counter. a shift register that forms signals corresponding to each of the shift registers; a gate circuit that is connected to the output of each stage of the shift register and outputs the output signal of each stage modulated by the 1Hz signal from the frequency divider; The output of the second decoder and the output of the gate circuit are inputted, and in response to the falling signal from the latch circuit, the output signal of the gate circuit is used in place of the second decoder output signal to the seconds display seven segment drive section of the driver. A battery life display digital clock characterized by being provided with a switching gate circuit for switching and supplying battery life.